What I do when I've been hurt

We all do it. Hurt someone. Whether it's someone we care about or someone we don't. Sometimes we mean to hurt in the emotion of the moment. Sometimes we don't and then usually we don't even realize we have. When the realization of what we have done hits home, meaningful and sincere apologies help heal those lapses in judgment.

But what do we do when we're the ones hurt, especially when we've gone back to try to understand or make it better? And that hasn't worked. We hurt again and realize those who have hurt us obviously need their space. It's hard to give that when you care. It's even harder waiting for the moment to come to fix those hurts so I try very hard not to dwell on the negativty of the feelings. When my spirit has been punctured and the air is slowly leaking out, I clear my mind and I pray for the strength to be overcome the pain. I pray for the persons involved. I recall that usually people don't want to deliberately hurt me and there's almost always an underlying cause for the behaviour. I want to be a person who can rise above taking things personally. And be someone who accepts apologies whether they are verbal or by action.

I hug my dogs. I listen to their soft breathing as they lay beside me. I write. And I wait.